Friday, April 30, 2010

A Book in Review: Nurture Shock

Nurture Shock: New Thinking about Children By: Po Bronson & Ashley Merryman
Non-fiction: parenting 23 pages
Book Count: 28

This book deals in depth with different new findings on how the brains of children and teens work. It is bases on scientific research both from lab testing and controlled experiments/ data collecting. It deals with many things like how TV watching isn't whats making kids fat, but educational TV may be making them meaner and why teen are wired for risky behaviors but not for being the stereotype angst filled teen. It's findings all boil down to two main points. First, kids do not think/respond/act/"work" like adults, which is why many things that should work, don't. Adults are thinking about what would work for them and why in a case, but for kids it is different. The second point is that positive traits are not always the opposite of negative ones, nor does it necessary stop them. For example, popular kids are the ones that best know how to control others. This is done with a careful balance of actions that are nice and are mean. It also points out how, because kids brains are still learning how complex issues work, things that you wouldn't think are an issue can be confusing to them. Like how lying is wrong, but if you get a horrible gift on your birthday, you still need to smile and say thank you, or even that if your birthday is in a week they may tell people you are 5 when you are still 4.

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